R.M. COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1052, 19 April 1882, Page 2

R.M. COURT.

THE BRUTAL OUTRAGE. GPYTQWN-TUESDAY. [Before H. S, Wudkh, R.M., and J, Tow, S, Rbvans, and F, H, Wood, J.P.'b, James Wmujf Ems was charged by Constable Eocleton with criminally and brutally assaulting Eliza O'Connor, aged 10 years aud 11 months, Tho Court was cleared of all persons but those who were connected with the case and the ptess. When the child's mother saw the accused, her feelings were quite overcome, and she was with' difficulty kept from interrupting the Court.

Mary Eliza O'Connor, whose face was frightfully disfigured and showed eveiy signs of having been brutally ill treated, gavo her evidence in a very clear and intelligent manner. She stated that she was at school Monday afternoon j after coming out, of school sho played in the sch.QQj'grjiuijd a liftle tjme, anr, then went to tlje for tier' parents' cows at the north end of the tt)\yu ' Affer finding them she wa,B driving then; tqwards home, aijd wl)on on iqrne property lately ownod by Mr areathe&ij, a /nan came up (o her from behind and caught boltjqf hey .tress and knooked her down, flo then took off bis coat and put it over her head and ran away with her in fcho direction of Mr Walker's paddock He had his knee on her while taking off his coat. She felt nearly choked when the coat was. around her head. Whon in the paddock ho picked up a stone and put it in her month and tied a handkerchief over it. He then laid herdotyn on rairi6 flax or toi toi that was them Shediir'noltjjink she would know tl)e handkerchief agajn. ".& 'tried to gp/aliflw the .stone but could not as it was tog large, but managed, to. get'jt out. The bruises on her face wefe caused by him hitting her. Whilst committing the act he heard her father oalling her and left her. Had not seen the. man before, He was the man; [The.child in answer to HisWorshipsaid ,l Thereheis"andpointed to l)im. The child was then taken out.in a fainting f}t]. Prisoner had no questions to ask, and in answer to His Worship said he did not think he could ask any at present, Joseph Epcjetqn, Constable, stated last night about 8 o'olock I waa informed that a child had been criminally assaulted, I went and saw the child, and from the description, went to Gladstone in pursuit, returned to Ureytown thiß morning about 8 o'clook, went to the Moroa plain near Mr Cottei's mill; saw a man passing the bush; went in pursuit and succeeded in arresting the prisoner'; I charged him with the offence, and gave him the usual caution. Jiifor fakjng him to the police station I showed' him a hat (produced) that was found on the 'river-bed, 'which:'h'e acknowledged was his, I'also searched him.

Prisoner had no questions to ask the witness. John O'Connor deposed he wap father of Mary Eliza O'Gortnor/wnq was born ou 30th November, 1871, Knew noth'jw: of her doings yesterday since she left home for school until 7 o ! clgok or halfpast the same evening. Qn returning from his work abqift (} o'blook, and finding she did not return, and as it was getting dark he went put to look for her; being informed that she had gone fpr the ows and hot returned. Qn getting on the river-bed he saw tlfe cows together, and then went about shouting '-'.'Elijia" as loud as lie could, Ho continued hjs searph.for scraio time but without any' result. Would think he was about three; chains from Walker's paddock when hp shouted. On returning home with the cows he found the child in Mr Revans house in a very deplorable state, could scarcely recognise her as his own child het face being completely black with bruises, He then sent for Dr Bey, who. examined her at once.

Prisoner had tn question to ask this witness. Dr Bey, awovn, stated he was a duly qualified medical practitioner, residing at Greytown, He attended Mary Eliza O'Connor last evening about 9 o'clock. Her face was badly braised, both eyes blackened, almost closed, a large bruise on her forehead, one of her teeth knocked out by the foroe of the blow, the tooth being brokeu off, the inside of the throat lacerated, a mark on the throat as though it had been compressed, and the other parts of her body very much bruised and lacerated. Her sides were bruised, scratched, and bleeding. Her underclothes were torn and covered with blood, her outer garments being torn into shreds. [The clothes were shewn in Com!]' Prisoner had no questions to ask witness.

Dr Bey also stated that heoxanimed the prisoner at the Police Station, and found indications which identified him as the assailant in the case. Wni. Morgan, sworn, stated he was a Bawyer. He came up to Greytown yesterday looking for work, having travelled from the Waingawa that day, Came down from there with tho prisoner. Could swear to his hat by the hole in the brim. Prisoner is the man, and the hat is the one he wore. He loft me about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and saw no more of him till this morning. We parted at Qui.i's Hotel. I left him standing at the hotel. I went and laid down under some willow trees and went to sleep. Was taken by some of ■ the people on suspicion whilst shaping there as being coiinected with tlw affair, but was afterwardsreleased. Saw prisoner this morning, but would have nothing whatever to do with him and pointed him out to Mr A. Hirsohberg and anothor man, and said, " Tim is the man. you want," and they immediately chased him. He told me he had lost his hat. I endeavored ,o get him ■to come down the town so that he might be arrested as I knew from the description he must be the man, This, was about halfpast live this morning. Prisoner: When I told you I lost my hat this morning I told you I ms, going to get a drink of water. Did not see any men chasing after me. We intended to go toPapawai, but I foil asleeo on the. roadside, and missed you when I awoke. When I met you ting morning did I not tell you I was drunk, aud did you not Bay yqu were the same?

Witness: I don't deuy that, for I had some beer beforo lying down under the willows. William Polo, sworn, stated that he was nut searching after the accused after .hearing of the outrage, and about half-past ouo as he was going about with a lantern ho found a hat belonzing to a man, and a child's hat, slate, and books, all together between the willow trees. No questions were asked by prisoner. At the conclusion of the child's ovidonce the Court was thrown open to the public. After Mr Polo's evidence'the Court was cleaved (as there was no rnovo evidence forthcoming) for the bench tn decide the case. Qn the Gourt bejng iigain opened A. Hirschberg was called and swum, stated about ijalf pasllive'this momm* he saw the witness Morgan and the prisoner together, they were too far away for him to hear what they were talking about, Morgan made a sign to biru to come to them, as he appioached them prisoner ran away, when Morgan said " that is the man you want," so he and a man named Hobman gave chase to him, after chasing him for some distance he managed to get in the bush and escaped from them, they then returned and reported where they last saw him. Prisoner had a blue scarf, or something like one, on his head. The scarf produced is not the qno b,e wore, nor like it. Prisoner lime said the scarf was the one he wore. His Worship gave the prisoner the usual caution, and asked him if lie had anything tn say in defence, Prisoner answered " I have nothing to say at present. Ho was then fully committed to tako his trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at Wellington, The whole of the witnesses being bound over to appear and give evidence.

Throughout tlio whole examination the prisoner exhibited the most callous indifference, not oven the sight of his little victim suffering as she waa through his brutality, oaused a single muscle of his face to chan«o, On being conducted from the Court House to the lock-up a large crowd followed, and the hooting and yells with which he wag greeted testified to the feeling of the public on the horrible nature of the crime that had been committed, We must bo excused for reverting to tho conduct of Constable Eccleton in this case, for we consider too much praise cannot be given him for his dogged perseverance in the pursuit of the miscreant; ar.c} frqin the manner in which he went nbqut it (ijoji waiting for this 01 that to turn up, pi' following the advice of other individuals, but, living a set pur pose, ho successfully worked it out befon resting), shewing the public he is tin right man in tho right plape: and the pubho generally owe him a debt for rid ding them for a time of sucl) a villian, for there can be no possible doubt of his guilt. And the incredible short time in wh\ch tho evidence was got together showed that his energies did not relax even on the capture of the prisoner. The Constable was well baoked up in the search by a number of the townspeople, who wepe ahqut the scena of the outrage all night, lljus cuftiug off all phance of escape fronj thorp. Nq'tajjly amongst thern mußt be npticpcl, Messrs Haiues, Hebloy, fl.yan, Fqie, Hobnian, Hirsohberg, Bowery Gole and Braggins,

The prisoner was interviewed this morning and stated that he slept in the bush near the scene of the outrage on that night, and that he drank a square gin bottle of beer before going to sleep, and also thaj he lojt his hat there, His mate &fprgan refused to share tl|e beer with him, so he draqk it all himself. He was taken to Wellington by this afternoon train in charge of Constable Eccleton,

The President in opening the WellingSynod yesterday stated that it had been necessary to call a special meeting of the Synod to pass a Bill altering the General Ohurdh Fund, and another for elections of the General Synod. There liad been one mistake felt by some with reference to the General Church Fund—that it had superseded an old fund which had been a success.' It was not bo, The old fund had nat' been" prosperous. ' The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel had also wiihdrawn the grant at this time. Many of the clergy had not, therefore, been fully paid j but the new scheme was intended to fiyoußp a church feeling in the diocese, Jh some na'rts'.of the diocese the vestries :had not worked unanimously with alterations now proposed would remove objections felt, and that all would endeavor tp support their Church thoroughly which wanted only pne voluntary effort. All needed to be aroused, to give liberally for the glory of Qod and to the extension pf the Redeemer's. Kingdom. Yet the aunts pf money ■ raised for building' ohurchep pd sph/oql rooms in some parts of the diocese had been very large and When bo niuch had been done, it was to be regretted that not morp |]ad been given, for those places not an prosperous. The Egyptian physicians of old were paid by the State. President Arthur's son, although but seventeen years old, is 6ft 4in in height.